HGV drivers made to cycle so they learn how dangerous it is

From the London Cycling Campaign Website:-

“Lorry and bus drivers working for a Lambeth Council are receiving training sessions in cycling road safety in a bid to prevent collisions involving cyclists and HGVs.

Drivers of refuse vehicles, school buses and other HGVs run by Lambeth are receiving classroom and practical on-road cycle training to highlight the dangers posed to cyclists caught in lorries’ blind spots.

The council is also installing signs on its lorries and buses warning of the danger of cycling of their inside”

The training, in conjunction with Cycle Training UK, involves drivers riding bikes themselves to give them greater understanding about cycling.

Lambeth is the only London borough to have so far adopted these kinds of measures”

An AA motorcyclist on an ASL

I was outraged to see a so-called ‘Very Nice Man’ on an ASL according to Crap Waltham Forest’s website (see link http://www.crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com). Needless to say, I have also raised my concern to the AA press office, saying that it is illegal. Boris never b**dy said they could start in December.

I hope that Freewheeler sends this photo to the Evening Standard, reports the motorcyclist to the police and to the London Cyclist (www.lcc.org.uk).

In my email, I have mentioned to the AA that cyclists will now be reporting bad drivers and motorcyclists to the police, photographing and filming them as a matter of course, as evidence of their illegal behaviour.

It is very important to complain to the AA as you can see from the following article from a Green organisation in 2004:-

“The Automobile Association (AA) has vowed to stop using animals in its advertising, following a series of complaints over the appearance of an aged elephant in a current television commercial, a leading animal rights group has announced. The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS) led a campaign against the AA after it was revealed that a 52 year old Asian elephant from the Bobby Roberts Circus was being used in the advert, and the company was ‘inundated’ with complaints over the situation.

A statement from the AA, read that “no wild captive animals will feature in future AA advertising”, and the commercial featuring ‘Anne’ will be scrapped after its planned broadcasts over the next two weeks.

“Companies are quickly realising that using captive animals in their advertising only brings criticism and damages their brand image,” said Craig Redmond from CAPS”

Therefore, please report the dangerous and illegal behaviour of AA employees to their employers.

Last Minute Christmas Pressies for Cyclists

Now for  this year’s ‘must have’

“A Flip Up Book of Road Rage Cards”

and for some fine samples of these please visit

www.roadragecards.com/samples.htm

“Road Rage Cards™ is just what you need if you really want to make a statement.

The printing is large and easy to read from a distance. The cards are tabbed and arranged by topic, so you can find the right message fast.

The book includes a variety of uncensored and censored messages (for those with slightly smaller balls). We’ve included a message for just about every annoying driver you’ll encounter (43 messages in all), and we’ve also included some blank pages for you to write your own messages.”

Now, how many times have I wished to have one of those cards?! However, as  cyclist, I probably wouldn’t use the ones with swear words as that could provoke the user. I think it would be better to go for a politeish one even though I would use the swear word in my head!

  or you get can get a nice gift from www.roadrageinc.com with a T Shirt with Diesel Exhaust Junkie on.

2009 will be a memorable driving experience for the motorist.

The Womens Racing Association closed in 2007

Mission completed! After achieving the aims and ambitions of the founding members, the WCRA is bowing out after 50 years. Read the full story in the final newsletter here. OUR MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of the Women’s Cycle Racing Association is to increase the opportunity for women in all forms of cycle sport, to support them in cycling at all levels in all disciplines. To encourage British Cycling, CTT and other cycling organizations to improve opportunities for women to participate actively in all forms of cycling, to challenge inequality in press coverage, prize money, sponsorship and International opportunities for women. TO RAISE THE PROFILE OF WOMEN’S CYCLE RACING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM          This is a real shame as it was designed to help women in the sport. I think we still have a long way to do ie less events and not enough women participating and many cycling clubs are still very sexist and they can put off women. Many cycling clubs don’t have women only cycle rides which some of us feel more comfortable in joining. Women don’t have a velodrome in Kent to use which is sometimes safer than cycling on our own in the countryside and we won’t have youths shooting cyclists or chucking the contents of their KFC at us.   I think Anna Ford ought to sort these sexist clubs out.   More needs to be done.

Write to your MP – CTC was top Campaigner 2007

Month in 2007	Top campaign site linking to WriteToThem
January	everyinvestor.co.uk (“independent financial news”)
February	Animal Aid † (“the UK’s largest animal rights group”)
March	Our World Our Say (on Trident replacement)
April	CTC (“the UK’s National Cyclists’ Organisation”)
May	Liberal Democrats (on Freedom of Information and Parliament)
June	Oxfam (an international development NGO)
July	Republic (“the Campaign for an Elected Head of State”)
August	People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (on foie gras)
September ‡	I want a referendum (on “EU’s constitutional treaty”)
October	Radiohead (an English alternative rock band)
November	unsubscribe-me (an Amnesty International campaign)
December	NO2ID (“Stop ID cards and the database state”) i don’t have the figs for 2008 yet but well done to CTC for putting a link on their site which is clearly popular! Just goes to show that bloggers and organisations need to put CTC on their links. Maybe they can be the top every month next year.